2RDR Ep04 Gone Baby Gone
by Lantana75
Summary: In the Roaring Twenties: The Marstons' second daughter, an infant, is abducted; Jack will stop at nothing to get her back.
1. Chapter 1

Summer of 1925

Jack leaned on his fence and watched traffic go by. The new decade, known as "The Roaring Twenties," had seen the official end of the Wild West; the life that he had loved. Fewer and fewer people were traveling by horseback and were now driving better cars. The new cars were better built, faster, and quieter than the cars that Jack and Irene had first seen and owned.

Jack was now thirty and Irene was now twenty-eight. They were not at all enjoying this decade. They didn't like the fashion or the awful jazz music that was now popular. "Jazzmania" was the term given to the fans of the music.

Jack refused to cut his hair, which he was still proud of. Although very few men now were wearing sideburns and beards, Jack kept his goatee and sideburns. His sideburns were barely visible because of his long hair. He and Irene still dressed like they liked. They didn't like the new styles. Irene still refused to tie her hair up in a bun or the other new styles that women wore. She still braided it behind her in a single braid or simply ponytailed it.

Jack was also unhappy about the Prohibition, which had begun in 1920, that made alcohol of any kind illegal. It was now illegal for America, as well as many other countries. Saloons were shut down or just running hotels. People were buying illegally obtained alcohol from the Mafia, but Irene would be extremely angry if Jack went to them. She knew that the Mafia were very dangerous. If they didn't get their money, which this family had very little of, they would likely come to the ranch for their revenge. They would likely hurt the whole family, including Angela, who was now four.

Since 1910, prostitution was illegal in every US state, which had removed whorehouses from every state. Jack was actually pleased about that. He had always avoided prostitutes. His own mother had once been one, which was how Jack came to be. This caused him to be bullied by other kids during the very few years that he attended school, to be ostracized by others, and to be treated as if he did not matter. Irene had always reminded him: "We have no say in how we come into this world." She hated that people seemed to treat Jack as if he chose his parents. Yes, Jack loved his parents dearly and he still missed them every day. He wished they were here to see Irene and Angela. He was glad that most people his parents had known then were dead. They were the only ones who ever knew who Jack's mother had once been, a life she had left when Jack was eleven. Jack himself had avoided these women, knowing that he could bring a life into the world that would face the sad childhood that he had suffered through. He did not want to risk that. Many of these women were also older than his own mother was and that was an uncomfortable feeling. He was glad that Irene was his first and only. He loved her more than anything. He would die for her if it came to that.

Beecher's Hope was still the family's home. Metal gates with locks were now at the entrances and exits to the ranch. A large horse corral was now fenced in at the northeast area of the ranch. The silo had been torn down. Since Jack had no interest in being a farmer, he knew he didn't need it. The wooden markers on the three graves had been replaced with marble headstones. Jack refused to have his family's final resting places moved. He knew his parents would want to stay at their home, the home that they tried so hard to live an honest life and teach their son to do the same.

Though Jack had come close to taking the road to becoming an outlaw like his father had once been, he came to his senses after he killed Edgar Ross. He remembered how confused he had felt after gunning the old man down. He remembered that his own father had died to prevent Jack from taking that road. With help of his beloved Irene, Jack secured himself as a bounty hunter and never hurt an innocent person again. He even tried to bring in all bounties alive and only shot those that fired first, self-defense.

As Jack watched and waited, Irene found him. She wrapped both arms around his right arm. "Hey, Jack," she said as she squeezed him tightly.

Jack kissed her head. "Hey back, Irene," he replied. He put his hand on her pregnant belly. "Hey, little one," he said. He held Irene against his side in both arms and looked over the land that surrounded the ranch. "What do you think of all this?," Jack asked. "The twenties?"

"I hate it," Irene admitted. "I miss the days that we grew up in. I can't believe it's gone."

"I hear you," Jack agreed. He sighed. "Things are changing too fast now. It's like I can't keep up."

"It's not all bad," Irene said. "Women can vote now. And prostitution is now illegal."

"You think that's right?," Jack asked. "I mean, I never did anything with these prostitutes, but why can't others if they want?"

"Sex without love is pointless," Irene said. "Why have sex with a person you don't love? Even worse, why have sex with a total stranger? Sex is meant to be with the one you love. That's what I was always taught by my mother. She said she was glad that she waited. She loved my father so very much."

Jack nodded. "I see your point," he said. "Maybe you're right."

"Plus, these women could be sick and get their clients sick," Irene said. "Then, he has to take that home. If he's married, he could be endangering his wife and children, if there are children." Irene paused and thought. "What about us women being allowed to vote?," she asked. "You can't be unhappy about that."

"No, it's your country too," Jack said. "You're also affected by who our president is and what he's doing. I think all adults need to take part in the process."

"I want Angela to have all the opportunities that I didn't have," Irene said. "I want her to have the rights that I was not given. I guess that's the only good thing about all this progress; that we women are being granted more rights."

"Maybe, but I miss our old life," Jack said.

"I do, too," Irene said.

Irene looked back at Angela, who was playing nearby. "Angela, come on," she called. "Let's get cleaned up for supper."

Irene took Angela into the house. Jack was still leaning on the fence with one foot on it. He was not looking forward to what was coming in the future. He wanted things to stop and stand still. He felt like he was now on a runaway train and there was no stopping or derailing the train as it kept gaining speed.

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	2. Chapter 2

Jack read through the newspaper early one morning as the family dog, Milo, sat by him. The black Pit Bull was no replacement for old Rufus that Jack remembered, but he was a great dog.

"Well, we got a new governor, Milo," Jack said to the dog. "So, is it a good thing that women can vote now?" He scratched the dog's head and read on. "Nash Davidson," he went on, as if the dog understood every word he said. "New Austin got Charles Lexington." He turned the page and read on. "Search Party Today for Missing Boy, Age 8."

"Why don't you help, Jack?," Irene asked. She had just come onto the porch.

Jack looked back at her and smiled. "Good morning, darling," he greeted.

Irene looked over his shoulder at the newspaper. "You know Tall Trees better than all those city-slickers do," Irene said. "You hunt there all the time. You've chased bounties there. Why don't you help find the boy? What if it were Angela? Wouldn't you want others to look for her?"

Jack sighed and stood up. "Of course I'll help," he said as he hugged Irene. He kissed her. "It says they're meeting at the gazebo by city hall at ten this morning," he said as he let go. "I'll get Shooter ready."

Jack's old horse, Samson, had died last year. Jack later bought Shooter, a large black thoroughbred stallion. Though the couple had a car, it was easier to go through the heavily-wooded Tall Trees on horseback. The trees were close together and the trails were narrow.

"I'll drive into town," Jack said. "Have Shooter ready for me, please, Irene."

"Yeah, I will," Irene said.

Police Sergeant Henry Young thought Beecher's Hope would be perfect to meet up. Jack was a little concerned, not knowing what the sergeant knew about his father or Irene's father. Irene was sure that was not going to be an issue.

Jack agreed to ride with Jeremy Young, the sergeant's brother. He accompanied Jack to Beecher's Hope, where Jack mounted Shooter. On the porch, Irene watched them ride away.

The woods were still almost untouched by progress, which Jack and Irene had liked. They loved the woods. It took them away from society and sheltered them from time to time. Jack and Irene both knew that this might not last. Unless something was done, these trees would likely be cut down.

"Do you know where we are, Mr. Marston?," Jeremy asked. "I am hopelessly lost."

"Yeah, I know where we are," Jack replied.

"I hate when I have to ride a horse," Jeremy remarked. "We invented vehicles for a reason."

"Those can't get through here," Jack said. He stopped Shooter and thought. "Was this boy kidnapped or did he run away or wander off?"

"His father said that he wandered away from Manzanita while the parents were dealing with the shopkeeper," Jeremy said.

"By instinct, we look for water and shelter," Jack said. "There are a few sheltered places here that the boy can get to. There's an old bear cave on Nekoti Rock. There's an old cabin in Tanner's Reach. And there's still the old fort in Cochinay that hasn't been touched since my father and those agents were there in nineteen-eleven."

"So, which one do we go to?," Jeremy asked.

"All three," Jack said. "We're closest now to Tanner's Reach. Let's go check that first. It's a shelter and it's near the river."

At a slow gallop, Jack led the way to Tanner's Reach.

"Rusty!," Jeremy called. "Rusty Walker, are you here?"

Jeremy dismounted his horse. "I'll check the cabin," he said. "Why don't you look on the riverbank? We'll meet up back here."

Jack gave Shooter a kick and rode to the riverbank. The rushing water could be heard from the cabin. Jack rode at a walk along the path that ran alongside the river. There were a few small footprints, but none were fresh.

Jack dismounted and looked. "Looks like he went back towards the woods," he said to himself. "I don't think he fell into the river." He sighed and mounted back up and rode back to the cabin.

Jeremy was standing by his horse and about to mount up.

"I think he went back into the woods," Jack told him. "I say we need to check Nekoti Rock."

"I am not going up that mountain," Jeremy said.

"I will," Jack said. "I've been there many times."

The two men rode to the path that led up to the mountain. Jeremy waited while Jack rode up the narrow path. At the top was a clearing with an abandoned bear cave.

Jack remembered the place from his childhood. When he was sixteen, he had tried to hunt a bear alone and had been trapped on the clearing with a large grizzly. His father had found him and gunned down the bear, saving Jack. At first, Jack had been angry. He felt like a failure, hoping that if he had proven himself that his father would never leave again. He still seemed to misunderstand that John had not willingly left his family. He knew that now. He knew now how much John had done for him, including giving his own life.

Jack held a rifle, just in case. Though it was commonly known that bears were seldom here anymore.

"Rusty?," Jack called. "Rusty, are you here? It's OK. I'm not gonna hurt you. Your family sent me to find you."

Jack thought he heard something. He carefully entered the cave, ready to shoot if he needed. He relaxed and put away the rifle.

"Hey, Rusty," Jack said. Backed into a nook was the boy, scared and alone. Jack sat down on the ground near the child. "It's OK," he said. "Nobody wants to hurt you."

Rusty looked at Jack.

"My name is Jack," Jack told him. "Everyone is really worried about you, Rusty. Will you let me take you home?"

"I don't wanna go home," Rusty said.

"Why not?," Jack asked.

"My Daddy is mean," Rusty replied. He extended his arm. Jack could see roundish bruises. He knew these were bruises one gets when they are grabbed too hard.

"Maybe he didn't mean to," Jack suggested.

Rusty shook his head. When he looked at Jack, a black eye was clearly visible. Jack was not happy at all. He knew that parents and kids didn't always get along. But his own father had never hit him, no matter what he ever did. Not even the time he was almost killed by the bear.

"Why don't you come with me, son?," Jack asked. "I'll take you to some people who can help you."

"Was your daddy mean?," Rusty asked.

"Sometimes, I thought he was," Jack said. "I thought he was too strict. But he was just trying to be sure that I lived a better life than what he did. He made some mistakes, but he was a good father. Once, he went away for a long time and I was angry. I thought he left me. But he came back and never left again."

"Where is your daddy now?," Rusty asked.

Jack sighed sadly. "He died when I was a teenager," he replied. "I really miss him."

"Good daddies shouldn't die," Rusty said.

"In a perfect world, they never would," Jack agreed. "Too bad this is not a perfect world. My wife's father was good too. And he died a few years ago also. She really misses him too."

"I don't wanna go home," Rusty said, almost ready to cry.

"It's OK, Rusty," Jack said. "I'll take you to some people who can help you. Will you come with me?"

Rusty nodded.

Outside the cave, Jack picked up Rusty and placed him onto his horse. He then mounted up behind the boy. "It's OK," Jack told the child as they rode down the path.

Jeremy smiled. "You found him," he said.

"Why don't you let the others know while I take him into the city?," Jack asked.

"Sure," Jeremy said.

Jack rode into Blackwater at a fast walk. He talked to Rusty the whole trip, assuring him that things would be OK. "Listen, if anything happens, you can come find me again," Jack said. "See that land right there?," he asked as they were passing Beecher's Hope. "That's my home. You can come there anytime you need help. I'll do what I can to help you. No man should hurt his child."

"Do you have any kids?," Rusty asked.

"I have a daughter," Jack said. "And my wife is pregnant again right now."

Rusty smiled.

In town, Jack rode Rusty to the child welfare office. He dismounted and helped Rusty down.

"Are you sure?," one woman asked as she heard what Jack had to say. "His father is a banker and very wealthy."

"And that makes it OK to hit his son?," Jack asked. "I've barely got enough for my family, but I don't beat my daughter."

"He does have bruises and a black eye," the second woman said. She looked at Jack. "We'll take it from here, sir."

Jack looked at Rusty. "Remember what I told you," he said. "I'll help you if you need it again." He gave Rusty a smile. "I need to go home to my wife now," Jack said. "Our new baby will be here at any time and I want to be there for that."

Rusty nodded, hoping that Jack was right and that these officials would indeed help. As Jack rode home, he had doubts. He had never trusted lawmen or the government, not after they had ruined his life and killed his father. He just hoped that things would go better for Rusty. He was not the son of two outcasts. He also knew, however, that wealthy people are able to buy their way out of trouble.

Jack knew that if Rusty showed up at his home, the child was in serious jeopardy.

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	3. Chapter 3

July 18, 1925

"What's wrong with her?," Irene asked the doctor as she and Jack sat in the office. Irene held her baby in her arms. "She barely moves her legs and her back is crooked."

"It's called spina bifida, Mrs. Marston," the doctor explained. "They used to call it simply a split spine. Your daughter's spine is not split, but it is severely damaged. I don't think she will ever walk. I suggest you find an institution for her."

"No!," Irene said firmly. "She is our baby. We're keeping her at home and we're going to love her, no matter what." She looked at Jack. "She's our flesh and blood, Jack," she said. "We're not dumping her off on strangers to raise, strangers who don't care."

Jack was still trying to take all this in. "Maybe this is God's punishment," he said.

"God doesn't use children to punish the parents," Irene said. "Why would he punish the innocent for crimes of the guilty? You haven't even done anything to deserve such a punishment."

"I don't know about that," Jack replied. He stood up and walked out.

"That baby could split up your marriage," the doctor said.

"Well, she won't do that," Irene replied. "Once Jack sees that he is not responsible for this, he'll be fine."

At home, Irene placed Kassidy into her crib and sent Angela out to play for awhile. Irene found Jack in the living room. He was staring at the empty fireplace and looked deep in thought. Irene sat next to him and leaned on him with her arms around him. He hugged her back.

"Jack, don't make me put Kassidy in a home," Irene begged. "I will never forgive you. She's our baby and she needs us and our love. She needs us, not uncaring strangers who only see her as a piggy bank."

Jack sighed. "I just don't know what to do," he said.

"Nobody ever does, Jack," Irene said. "I'm scared, too. But shipping her off someplace won't help any of us."

"We can have more kids, Irene," Jack said. "We're both still young."

"Jack, that doesn't matter," Irene said. "Even if we had a dozen children, could we still forget Kassidy? There would always be that empty place at our table. There will always be the one child that we should be picking up when she falls, fixing a broken toy for, breaking up arguments with the siblings, and the one child that should be telling you and me that she loves us."

Jack sighed. Deep inside, he knew Irene was right. Putting their little girl away would not do away with her memory. They would always worry if she was all right.

"We won't send her away, Irene," Jack promised. "She'll stay here. If anyone tries to take her, I'll shoot their ass."

Irene hugged Jack.

That evening, Jack put Angela to bed. Her bedroom was the bedroom that had once been Jack's room when he was a teenager. He kissed her and told her he loved her. He stood up and left the room, which had no door. The crib was in the master bedroom, against a corner. Jack leaned over the crib and touched Kassidy.

"Kassidy, you're surely very important to me," Jack said, as if the baby could understand him. "I am not gonna send you away. You're staying here with your family. Mommy and I will take care of you. I am just so afraid to pick you up. I don't want to hurt you. I just don't know what to do, but I am gonna learn. I promise you, you're gonna have a great home and a great family."

In the hallway, Irene smiled as she heard what Jack was saying to the baby. He'll be fine, she was sure of it.

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	4. Chapter 4

Five Months Later

Home alone, Irene rocked Kassidy in the living room. She cuddled her baby in her arms and sang to her, though Irene was not exactly the best singer. Jack had told her it didn't matter to their children. All they heard was the love.

Angela played on the floor with a few toys. She looked at Irene and asked, "When will Daddy be back?"

"In the morning, baby," Irene replied. "He went to help Amos and Bonnie with something. He'll stay at their ranch tonight and leave at sunrise to come home. He loves us all. He wants to be here."

Jack and Irene shielded Angela from knowing the full truth about her grandparents. She knew only that John and Landon had made some "mistakes" in their lives, but were sorry for them and had quit. They had later started to help people and gained their forgiveness and redemption. She did not know that John had robbed at least forty banks and a dozen trains and had killed people. She didn't know that Landon had been a gunfighter and had spent twenty-five years killing men before he turned his life around. She did know that John had saved Bonnie from some bad men that tried to hurt her, but did not know how grave that situation had been. Since most of America was no longer performing public hangings, she didn't know what a hanging was; or what a lynching was. She didn't know that Landon's first wife had been caught in a crossfire and died because of Landon's lifestyle.

Jack and Irene knew that the kids would eventually learn. There were books being written about John and Landon. Landon had once started an autobiography, but he never completed it. Irene still had the box with the manuscript in a safe place. She didn't want her kids to find it once they could read.

As the sun set, Irene put a sleeping Kassidy into the crib. She then read a story to Angela and put her to bed. Irene sat in bed, reading by the light of a small lantern by the bed.

At MacFarlane's Ranch, Jack suddenly jolted awake, gasping. He realized it was after midnight. Something was wrong. He knew it. He jumped out of bed and quickly dressed. He gathered his things and then hurried downstairs as quietly as he could, but still awoke Bonnie. Bonnie was already a light sleeper and was awakened easily.

As Jack was about to get into the 1925 Ford Model T, Bonnie found him. "What's going on, Jack?," she asked.

"I'm not sure," Jack replied. "Something just doesn't feel right, all of a sudden. I need to get home."

"Maybe it was just a dream?," Bonnie suggested. "Why don't you come back in and get some sleep?"

"No, thanks, Bonnie," Jack replied. "Something is just telling me to get back home right now. Something is wrong; I can feel it."

Jack jumped into his car and drove home as fast as the car was able to go. He was anxiously pounding his fist against the door. He knew something was wrong. Something inside him was screaming at him to get back home right this minute! What was it? What was it that had Jack so anxious?

At home, Jack jumped from the car and hurried inside.

"Irene?," Jack called. "Irene!" Jack hurried into the master bedroom. The bed was a mess and empty. He then saw Irene's feet from the other side. He rushed to her and dropped to his knees. Her torn clothes and body position told him what had happened. "Irene, baby?," Jack whispered as he picked her up into his arms and turned her face-up. She was beaten black-and-blue and unconscious, but she was breathing. "Irene, wake up," Jack called as he gently shook her. He stroked her hair and continued calling to her; "Irene? Look at me. It's Jack. Look at me, please."

Jack picked up Irene and laid her down on the bed. It was then that he noticed the crib was empty. "Angela," he said.

Jack saw no sign of his children in Angela's bedroom. As he called his daughter's name, he found himself on the verge of panic. He then heard something. He dropped to his hands and knees and saw Angela under the bed. She was crying and cowering in the corner.

"Angela, come to Daddy," Jack gently coaxed as he reached out towards the child. "Everything is OK. Come to Daddy."

Angela looked at her father. She then crawled out from under the bed and allowed Jack to pick her up. She clung to him as he carried her to the living room. He set her down on the sofa and knelt in front of it and looked his child in the eye.

"Look at Daddy, sweetie," Jack said as he gently held her face towards him. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"They took Kassidy," Angela said, in tears.

"They?," Jack asked.

"The bad men," Angela said. "They hurt Mommy and took Kassidy that way." She pointed in the direction of Manzanita Post and Tall Trees.

"I want you to stay right here," Jack said. "I want to know where you are. You stay right here." Angela nodded.

Jack returned to Irene, who was beginning to wake up. She cried a little as Jack sat on the bed and took her into his arms again.

"Irene, look at me, baby," Jack whispered. "You need to talk to me, please. I need to know who did this. I can't find Kassidy until I know."

Irene whispered into Jack's ear. It was not easy, but she managed to say what she needed to say. Jack nodded. "I'll get her back, Irene," Jack promised. "I'll get our daughter back. I'll get her back. I promise."

Jack laid Irene back onto the bed. He didn't want to leave Irene and Angela alone. What if these people came back? Although Irene was normally able to take care of herself, she could not do that right this minute. She was vulnerable.

As Jack thought, he heard a car in front of the house. Gun in hand, he stepped onto the front porch. He relaxed. "Bonnie," he said as he recognized who was there. "Amos." He put away the gun. Amos was helping Jessica from the car.

"Is everything OK?," Bonnie asked.

"No," Jack said. "Irene has been beaten and raped. And the men who did it took the baby. That's what Angela said." He kicked the chair that was on the porch.

"Jack, try to stay calm," Bonnie said. "Have you sent for the police?"

"Those morons can't even help themselves," Jack said. "Do you really think they would help me anyway? They know who my father was and who Irene's father was. I'll look for Kassidy myself."

"I'll come with you," Amos said. "Bonnie will take care of Irene and Angela."

Jack gathered his guns and gave Amos a revolver and a rifle. Jack and Amos mounted the horses and rode towards the Post. At Manzanita Post, Jack and Amos walked into the store.

"Hey, Jack," the shopkeeper, who knew him well, smiled. His smile faded when he saw the expression on Jack's face. "Jack, what's the matter, my friend?"

"Hey, Kyle," Jack said seriously. "My baby daughter has been abducted. My other says two men took her and came this way. Please tell me that you've seen something."

"Janet said she saw something that didn't look right," Kyle said. He looked back towards a door that led to a small room. "Hey, Janet, come here, please!"

Janet, who also knew Jack from his frequent visits, appeared. She shut the door and approached. "What's going on?," she asked.

"This morning, you said that you saw something that didn't seem right," Kyle said.

"There were two men," Janet replied. "One was carrying a burlap sack that looked like it had something moving in it. I thought it was a dog or a pig or something like that. Why?"

"It was a baby," Kyle replied. "Jack's baby girl was kidnapped this morning."

"Oh, Jack, I am so sorry," Janet said. "They took the trail that leads to that old fort in Cochinay."

"Thank you," Jack said.

Jack and Amos rode along the trail, which was winding and narrow and muddy from a recent rainfall. Jack knew about the place. It was where the federal agents had sent his father to take down Dutch van der Linde. Jack himself had never been to the fort, but had heard his father speak of it. He wondered why anyone would take another couple's child and take her there, of all places? He was also aware that the place had a gatling gun, which he warned Amos about. John had driven Dutch away from the gun by shooting a lantern and catching the platform on fire. It was likely repaired by now and the gun obtainable.

Jack was worried. If that gun was again in use, what could he do?

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	5. Chapter 5

The main gate to the fort was still blown out, only partially repaired since the day of the original raid by John Marston and the military. A confused Jack Marston stared at it, not really wanting to see the place that almost took his father's life. He had come so close to losing John that day and never seeing him again. He was still thankful for the last few weeks he was able to spend with John before Ross and his men came to the ranch, yet still angry at the entire situation.

Jack, still in the saddle, took a deep breath.

"Are you gonna be all right, Jack?," Amos asked. "This is your daughter here."

"Yeah," Jack replied under his breath. "I just never thought that I would have to come here. This place was my father's worst nightmare and now it's becoming mine."

"Let's get Kassidy back," Amos said. "That's why we're here. Keep that in your mind."

Jack nodded. "Watch for the gatling gun," he warned. "I don't know if they're able to use it again. Pa told me it's in the main area that leads to the caves."

"Caves?," Amos asked.

"They used to be coal mines," Jack replied. "They're all mined out now, though."

"So, there's no risk of hurting anyone else," Amos said. "That's a good thing. Don't worry, Jack; you and your family are good friends. I'll stay here and help all the way."

The two men entered Cochinay on foot, guns in hands. They made their way towards the camp. The camp was a large area with a small pen that held livestock animals and was stocked with tents, food, water, and other supplies. Many of these items had been there since the day of the big raid and were now spoiled and useless. The skeletal remains in the pen was all that was left of any animals that had once been kept in there.

"Beyond that gate," Jack told Amos. "That's the main camp and that's where the gatling gun is. Be careful, Amos."

"You do the same," Amos said.

The two men cautiously entered the gate. The gatling gun was the greeting they received. Both men ducked for cover.

"How does it feel, Marston?," a man's voice called out between rounds of the gun. "To have your kid taken from you?"

"Who are you?," Jack called back. "What the hell do you want?"

"You took my son, Marston!," the man yelled. "You caused me to lose my son! Rusty Walker!"

Jack gasped and closed his eyes.

"That was not me," Jack replied. "You were beating him. He was terrified to go home, so I took him into the city. What happened from there, I never knew. I just knew he needed help."

"He's my son, Marston!," Ray Walker demanded. "Look who your father was? He wasn't exactly an angel!"

"He never beat me," Jack said. "And what about what you did to my wife? You think raping a woman makes you a bigger man?"

"I bet she enjoyed it," Ray yelled out with a laugh. "She probably liked me better than you!"

"Go to hell!," Jack screeched. He started to make a move. Amos grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't get yourself killed, Jack," Amos said. "He's only trying to bait you so she can shoot you down. If you wanna get Kassidy back, you gotta think this out."

Jack nodded. "You didn't see what condition Irene was in," he said, anger in his voice. "He beat her and raped her and almost killed her, all in front of Angela. I know what this could do to her."

Jack knew all too well what his daughter was facing: anger, depression, anxiety, and trauma. He did not want that for her. He wanted her to grow up happy. She deserved to have a better life than he had lived. He wondered if he had made the right decision to marry in the first place. He loved Irene so much. He would die for his daughters, just as his father had died for him. He now knew how his father had felt and what he must have felt when he made the choice to die for his beloved son.

"I just can't think," Jack admitted. "I'm so damned angry. And he's got my daughter in there. I don't know how she is now."

"Stay calm, Jack," Amos said. "You can't help your family if you panic and get killed. They need you."

Jack took a deep breath. He knew Amos was right. If Irene lost her little Kassidy, she would never get over it. Maybe he should have insisted on the institution, he wondered. Then, he and Irene would know for sure that Kassidy was safe and this would not be happening. "No," Jack told himself. Keeping Kassidy at home was the right choice. She was their little girl and they would take care of her and protect her. Jack felt as if he had already failed her.

Ray continued to fire the gun, hoping Jack would hit. Since Jack was taking cover, Ray hoped that a ricochet would catch him. Jack was anxious. All he wanted was his daughter. And revenge. He wanted to show Ray that he made a big mistake coming after Irene and the children. "He won't even be able to lay with his own wife anymore, when I'm done with him," Jack mentioned.

"Jack, don't do anything like that," Amos warned. "You'll end up either in jail or executed. Irene and the girls need you."

"I want him to suffer," Jack said. "Irene is everything to me. She's always been faithful to me and I have been faithful to her. He took that away."

"No, he didn't," Amos said. "He raped her. That means he forced her and she did not make the decision to be with him."

"Trust me, she hates him," Jack said.

"Remember that," Amos said. "She loves you, Jack. She and your kids all need you."

Amos looked around. "Maybe we can sneak behind those tents, where the gatling gun can't reach," he suggested. "He has to be low on ammo, too."

Jack thought, still clinging to the repeater in both hands. "I just need to get to my daughter," he said. "I want my little girl right now." He gripped the repeater tighter and kicked a nearby rock.

"I'll see if I can get him to follow me over here," Amos said. "You get around those tents. When you get under the platform, the gun won't be able to hit you. It won't shoot straight down."

"Be careful, Amos," Jack said.

Ray followed Amos with the gun, thinking he was Jack. Once Jack saw the attention was away from him, he crept around the row of tents and made his way to the steps that led to the platform. He got to the top step and shot Ray in the leg. Ray dropped, screaming in pain and shock. Jack dropped the rifle and gripped his revolver. He aimed at Ray as he carefully approached him.

"Do not move," Jack ordered. He took Ray's gun and tossed it down off the platform. "Where's my daughter?," he asked.

"Go to hell," Ray said.

"You will first," Jack said. "Raping a mother in front of her child and taking a helpless baby from her family is not exactly what God commands people to do. I ain't religious, but I know that."

Ray laughed. "I don't think you're the one to ask about religion," he said. "Your father wasn't a priest, you know."

"Yeah, I know that," Jack replied. "But he never hit me. Never. And my wife and I have never hit our children either. Where is Kassidy?"

Ray stared at the gun in his face. With one quick move, Ray knocked the gun from Jack's hand and punched him. Jack quickly regained control and began pounding Ray.

Years of anger, frustration, stress, and rage were now in control. It was as if Jack just could no longer handle it.

"Jack! Stop! Stop it, Jack! Don't kill him!" Amos came running up behind his friend and grabbed him. He yanked Jack away from Ray, whose face was now beaten and bloody and broken.

Jack collapsed to his knees and gathered himself. As he was trying to think, he heard something. He jumped to his feet and followed the sound. He climbed a ladder and entered a small room.

Jack smiled. Kassidy was lying in a basket with blankets. She was fussy, but not crying. She seemed completely unhurt.

"Kassidy," Jack said as he picked her up. She calmed almost immediately, seemingly knowing that this was her father. "It's OK," Jack said to the baby. "Daddy's here. Daddy's got you. You're safe."

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	6. Chapter 6

Irene lay on her left side, facing away from the door, and stared at the wall. She was quiet, not knowing what was happening. She heard footsteps and thought it was Bonnie coming to check on her. She felt weight come down on the bed as somebody sat on the bed.

"Irene?," Jack called to her quietly. "Irene, look at me."

Irene rolled over and looked. Her eyes widened as she saw Jack was holding their baby.

"Kassidy!," Irene squealed. She jumped upright. Jack placed the baby in her arms. Irene hugged and held her baby, so happy to have her back. "My baby." She looked at Jack. "Thank God you're both back and all right," she said. Jack hugged Irene. She put her free arm around him and hugged him tightly. Irene clung Jack close to herself, never wanting to let him go.

"Nobody will ever take my family from me," Jack promised her. "I won't let that happen."

That night, Irene and Jack didn't sleep much. Jack held Irene back against his broad chest. He looked at the crib from time to time, seeing that Kassidy was sleeping soundly.

Jack remembered the day that he and his mother had been ripped from his own father's arms and kept from him for several weeks. He had wondered and worried all that time whether he would ever see his father again. He would not allow his family to worry about him like that. He would do all he could to keep his family together, no matter what it could ever come to.

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	7. Chapter 7

Summer of 1928

Jack rode through Tall Trees at a fast trot, shooting at a fleeing deer. To feed his family, Jack usually hunted himself. The shops in town were indeed expanding and new inventions were keeping meat cold and making it last longer, but hunting for himself was more convenient and made him self-reliant. He used the money he saved to add onto his home, which was growing full.

Angela was now aged seven and in school. Kassidy was now aged three. And Irene was now pregnant with twins. Jack loved his family, but he was hoping these twins would be the last. He hoped at least one win was a boy. He wanted the name "Marston" to continue into the future for many years to come.

Irene would have the twins any day now. Lisa was staying at the house to be there to assist. They all knew that petite and small Irene would have difficulty with the birth. Jack was afraid that she could even likely die. John's mother had died when John was born. Could that happen to Irene also? Jack couldn't bear the thought of losing his beloved wife. He had already suffered so much loss in his life. He knew he just would not recover from losing his wife or any of his children. They were what Jack needed to keep him together. Since meeting Irene, he had found happiness again. He was living the life that John had begged him to live. He was sure that John would be very proud now if he could come back for just one minute.

Jack gunned down the dear. "And Pa said I wasn't a hunter," he gloated. Jack dismounted his horse.

At the farm, Irene lay in bed. She was exhausted and eager to have her babies. Irene loved her children, but wanted these twins to be her final children.

Lisa waited on Irene. Irene barely asked for anything, only wanting to sleep. Lisa was worried.

The next several days were difficult for the family. Lisa went into town daily to talk to her father and get a newspaper. The news was sad and depressing. Although World War One had now been over for almost ten years, America was still struggling to regain itself.

On the radio, an Episcopalian minister was raving about the corrupt Los Angeles Police Department and how they were now refusing to help the mother of a missing boy. The police swore the boy was found and safe at home, but the mother insisted that the boy was not her son. This angered Irene. Any parents would know her or his own child. She would know her children, as would Jack.

The mother, Christine Collins, was to be on the radio show tonight; but something was wrong and she had not arrived.

"The police stopped her," Lisa told the couple. "The don't want to be proven wrong."

Irene thought hard about what she was hearing. "I know how she feels to have a missing child," Irene said. "The worry. The unknown. You don't know if the child is alive or dead, if they're hurt, if they're cold, or anything." She looked at Jack.

"Nobody will take any of our kids again, Irene," Jack assured. "People are talking about what happened when Kassidy was taken from us. They're scared."

"Good," Irene said. "They need to be."

"Damn right," Jack said.

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	8. Chapter 8

Three Weeks Later

Irene held her baby son to her chest as she sat up against pillows in her bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jack held the other son.

"What are their names?," Lisa asked.

"This one is Landon, after my father," Irene said.

"This is John the third," Jack replied. "Johnny, we'll call him."

"Good names," Lisa smiled.

The two daughters also cooed and fussed over the babies.

Angela stared at Landon in Irene's arms. "How can they be my brothers if they're born at different time than me?," she asked. "And Kassidy's brothers? And us sisters?"

"Angela, babies don't normally come at the same time," Irene explained. "They usually come one at a time. Not many women have two babies at once. But it can happen. They're your brothers."

"And they're the last ones we're having," Jack said.

"Amen," Irene said. "I am exhausted."

Jack stared at his son in his arms and smiled. "And the family name will live on," he said with a smile.

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	9. Chapter 9

"Nineteen-twenty-nine, three weeks left," Jack said as he stood on the porch. "I didn't like this decade at all."

Bundled up against the cold, Jack and Irene looked out at the snow that covered their property.

The Roaring Twenties had brought many changes to America and the world.

The horrible Wineville Chicken Coop Murders had shocked the nation and the world. The man who had committed the crimes was now on trial and would likely be hanged.

Baseball was newly-popular in America. Jack and Irene both loved the sport. The Museum of Modern Art opens in Manhattan, November 7, 1929; nine days after the Wall Street Crash.

John Logie Baird invented the first working mechanical television system in 1925. In 1928, he invented and demonstrated the first color television. Warner Brothers produced the first movie with a soundtrack "Don Juan" in 1926, followed by the first Part-Talkie "The Jazz Singer" in 1927. The first All-Talking movie "Lights of New York" came along in 1928 and the first All-Color All-Talking movie "On with the Show" 1929. Silent films start giving way to sound films. Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in May of 1927.

Robert Goddard made the first flight of a liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. The first electric razor was patented in 1928 by the American manufacturer Col. Jacob Schick. The first selective Jukeboxes were introduced in 1927 by the Automated Musical Instrument Company. Harold Stephen Black revolutionized the field of applied electronics by inventing the negative feedback amplifier in 1927. Clarence Birdseye invented a process for frozen food in 1925.

Youth culture of The Lost Generation had swept the nation: flappers, the Charleston, and the bob cut haircut. Fads such as marathon dancing, mah-jongg, crossword puzzles, and pole-sitting were popular. The Harlem Renaissance centered in a thriving African American community of Harlem, New York City. The tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered intact by Howard Carter in 1922. This began a second revival of Egyptomania.

Irene and Jack wondered what the thirties would bring. They refused to conform to many of the changes. Jack kept his hair shoulder-length, kept the sideburns, and kept the goatee; which most men were now giving up. Jack also kept the same clothes style he had loved all his life. He was disappointed that he could no longer carry his guns like he always had.

Just what would the new decade bring? Only time would tell.

END

Author's Notes

1. The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders (see Wikipedia) was a series of abductions and murders committed by one man. The movie "Changeling" is based upon this event. The culprit kidnapped, molested, and killed several young boys. The mother of one boy, Christine Collins, was placed in a mental institution by corrupt police after proclaiming to the world that the boy the police found and brought to her was not her son, Walter. It was later learned that the boy was a runaway and claimed to be the woman's son so he could get to California, hoping to meet his favorite actor. The movie is rated R and omitted the culprit's mother at all. She was involved in the murder of the real son. Although there was never any proof or complete bodies found, this boy was presumed murdered at age nine. The mother died in December of 1964, never giving up searching for her missing son. The man who killed her son, Gordon Stuart Northcott, was hanged on October 2, 1930.

2. Egyptomania, as some people call it, was a craze in which people became fascinated with Egyptian history and culture. One thing that was popular was the "Mummy Unwrapping" shows. This was a show in which people bought tickets to attend and watch a man unwrap a mummy to see what he would find. One man was actually fooled and found a pile of wood and a cat's backbone when he unwrapped what he thought was a mummy. Today, we study mummies with X-Ray rather than unwrap them. This is an attempt to show respect and allow the dead to rest in peace.

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